Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-09-30
MISCELLANY.
A SHlLOCK or 'SCUTNEY COR-
NER.

cnamDer WindefS, ana tine linbS OF tne
great willow tree that stood near Deacon
Prouty's all Topped off so's't they shouldn't
come nigh Deacon Grier's--a terrible ungod-
ly sight, considerin' they was two deacons
that had ought to "a been walkin together
in love.
"And they was as clost almost as broth
ers when the foundations of them houses
was laid Their fathers before 'em owned
them adjoinin' farms, and the families had
always been inumate 1t beat all what a
little thing it was that come betwixt 'em
and split the church in two and set half the
town TO wrangln', and drove the minister
off and set the other deacon--he was
peaceable cretur, Deacon Brewster was
into decline
Seth Tibbetts, the old shoemaker, paused
and let his eyes rest with satisfaction on the
interested face of the commercial traveller
who swung his legs from the counter. To
the other loungers in the store the chroni-
cles of 'Scutney Corner were not new.
They, however, looked from old Seth to
the stranger with certain pride, and Jerry
Baker, tine sexton, said, with open admira-
ton, ut docs beat all what a tarlent Seth
has got for settin' off story, and yet
reassuringly to the stranger-"you may be
lieve every word Of it, every word"
"Clenr'n off the main road as we be, N
with never no murders or robberies skurse
anything divertin', as you may say, still
| there is GURUS hap'nin's here" said, in a
thin, high-keyed voice, Enoch Fowle, who
was very Old and lived at the poor house.
eyes, them houses looked sight worse
when they was new than they do now, pur-
sued the narrator, with modest disregard
Of complimentary interruptions. "The
clapboards was n-bristlin' with onchristian
spite and the knotty boards in that great
fence-and they was mostly knotty-looked
Jest as if they was maxim faces. Time is
mellerin' to things and creturs both and the
| old weather. beaten houses and fence don't
look nigh so pert and spiteful. 1t was most
forty years ago that they was built. Young
Lando Grier must be thirty six if he's a
| day, and he want born till three or four
years after. He's all there is left on that
side of the fence, and there's nobody on the
other but Sabr' Ellen and her mother Time
hain't seemed TO meller old Mis- Prouty
she's woman that's consid Fable like hard
cider, crisp and sparklin', and with no more
Of tang than is agreeable, so long as it s
new, but time is sure to turn it into vinegar
But it's the opinion of most folks that
she was the one that was sot on in the be
| ginnin'. There's that much TO be said for
old Mis- Deacon Prouty.
'She was a ard-workin' woman, lookin
| well 10 the ways of her household-and
more'n was necessary to the ways Of other
| folkss, some thought and when she come
to go to prayer meetin'. she couldn't keep
awake. In the mOyin est prayers and the
stirrin est exhaustations she'd catch herself
a a-noddin And what did she feel drove to
do at last but to take her knittin work 10
| prayer -meetin' and knit away the whole
| bar gka,
awake For a consid able spell nobody found
it out 1t was Mis- Deacon Grier that did
at last, and she told her husband He went
TO Deacon Prouty and his wife and remon-
strated, but couldn't get no satisfaction.
Mis- Prouty want one that could stand in
reference from anybody, and the deacon
| want either, for that matter. And Deacon
| Grier was a mild-mannered man, but sot.
| He went and laid the matter before the
church meetin'. THAT was Jest after the
foundations of them houses was dug, that
they was havin' so close together because
they thought so much of one t'other
Well, some was for Mis- Prouty-she testi-
fed before the church meetin' that she raw
elled every mite of the knittin' out as soon
as she got homeland some was against her
She was the hoppin'est woman you ever see,
and that hurt her cause consid' able. They
| COHplalneQ IlaJ hne WOulunt let NOBODY
speak the truth in love to her.
"By the time them houses was built, with
the fence a-r'arin' up between 'em, the
devils horns was a-r'aIin' up in that church
so's't YOU could most see 'em.
Them that was against Mis- Prouty was
the strongest, and they drove the others out
of the church. Old Parson Dyer that tried
to pacify EN-, got kicked out by both sides.
There was a new church built, and they got
two new ministers-that hardly burst t.
| speak TO one tother. Poor Deacon Brews-
ter, that tried to be as wise as a serpent and
as harmless as n dove, and not take sides
either way, he had to take to his bed and
he never got off it again, all on account of
worriment of mind, the doctor said. There
is folks in this world that can't quarrel
though most poor human creturs does seem
TO take to it like duck to water Deacon
Brewster he up and died but there was
folks that wouldn't speak to their own blood
relation for years. and the state of religion
hain't never been what it was before, all on
account Of Mis- Deacon Proutys knittin' in
prayer meetin' Now, as l was sayin', there
amt nobody left Of the two families hut
young 'Lando Grier and Mis- Prouty and
Sabr' Ellen.
"And so far forth as 'Lando and Sabr
Ellen are concerned, they'd be better salts
fed if they wasn't one on one side and one
on tother Of high fence.
That's the way things comes round in
this world if you give EN- time.
They're gettin' along in years, IandC
higher to forty than thirty, and Sabr' Ellen
must be thirty, though bein' one of them
little plump, rosy completed, light-h hearted
women that seem to kind of shed care and
age Jest as a ducks back sheds water, you
wouldn't never think it and it does seen
as if Mis- Prouty want livin' along fol
nothin' but TO keep 'em apart. She mad,
Sabr' Ellen promise long ago that she
wouldn't never marry without her consent
and she amt no more likely to give hei
consent now than she was the day that
'Lando's father brought her before the
church for knittin' in prayer meetin' she's
an awful hand to keep grudge Mis- Prouty
is Them children was forbid to speak t
one another but land you see that fenc,
don't go no farther'n the orchards, anC
there's only stone wall betwixt them, ant
the fust anybody knew they was usin' {
chink in the wall for post-oliice. One day
Lem Price that was gatherin' apples
found a letter from him to her, and h,
showed it to me. Long ago as twas,
hain't forgot Il word of that letter spelled
and wrote pretty queer it was-Lando wa
kind of slow at his books Dear Sab
Ellen, it said, Il love you becos your cheek
are red and your hair k-i-r-l-s, and I'm go
in to shake the high-top sweetin' tree a
soon as / get chance, and l won't neve
have nobody else for my girl till death dotl
part us
Talk about death partin' 'em Yol
might jest as soon expect to get the star
of him as of old Mis- Prouty
They kept sendin Sabr' Ellen dow
country to her aunts every time they catch
ed her speakin to young 'Lando, and the
tried to get her married TO a minister
Folks always has run of an idee here il
'Scutney Corner that twas terrible risto
cratic as well as terrible pious to marry
minister, and when you can be 'ristocrati
and piOus too there seems to be so muc
clear gain. There never seemed to be
settled minister at the new church ther
was always a stated supply from the thee
logical seminary and the stated supply wa
Jest as sure to fall in love with Sabr' Ellei
as he was to wear white choker and b
differcult about his victuals Some said oil
Mis- Prouty was managin', and anyhoN
Sabr' Ellen was a master pretty girl she ha
a way, too, of speakin' all of 'em fair with
out meanin' much by it, It's IA wonder tina
young 'Lando didn't get discouraged some
tlllesi but ne cohslu hple hhe olu l~uhuN
his father, mild-mannered and quiet, bu
sot. And old Mis- Prouty couldn't manag
! ! Sabr' Ellen so'st' make her marry one q
'em.
/ ''She hain't give up yet, only she look
I after widowers and old bachelors now an
, last spring she took her bed with a shock
palsy because Sabr' Ellen refused Deaco
Pettigrew, with five children, and his hr'
| Wife's mother liyin' with him They do sa
that Sabr' Ellen most give up she's e
such a sense of duty
"Is that all :" said the commercial tray
eller, as Seth Tibbetts's narrative came
a halt, with a certain sighting accent, nC